Spessartine

specimen number:
2354020

location:
Nani Hill, Loliondoa, Arusha, Tanzania

description:
A translucent orange lustrous sharp crystal of spessartine without matrix. This is naturally crystallized on the backside, in good condition.

Located in the Ngorongoro district of the Arusha Region in northern Tanzania, Nani Hill is a famed mineral locality that consists of a large quartz vein host crisscrossed by iron and manganese mineralization within a high-grade metamorphic terrain. The deposit triggered a major gem rush around late 2007 when local Maasai miners discovered world-class, brilliant orange spessartine garnet crystals along with rare orange kyanite hosted in weathered quartz and muscovite matrix. Local artisanal miners recovered many high-quality gem specimens from the loose, deeply weathered soil overlaying the hard rock quartz mass, quickly establishing Nani Hill as one of the premier locations for mineral collectors seeking exceptional orange garnets.

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